How to Export Gmail to MBOX Files | 3 Best Methods

Summary: This article describes the two best methods for immediately exporting MBOX from Gmail without the need to install any appropriate email applications. We strongly advise you to read the entire article if you want to learn the best and most popular ways to export Gmail to MBOX.

Gmail, a popular email service, is offered by Google with quite a good number of features to manage email efficiently. However, there are some instances when you need to export the Gmail data to another format, as mentioned herein: the MBOX format. The file format is widely used by various email clients and is often preferred to store emails.

Why Export Gmail to MBOX Format?

Let’s start from here: what is the ultimate purpose of users in exporting Gmail emails to MBOX format? We have narrowed down some of the most common reasons why users want the best solution for this:

• Use an External Email Client: A more normal way for users to transfer emails from Gmail into Thunderbird, Apple Mail, etc is to export to MBOX. This can include messages, folders, and files.
• Running out of Gmail Storage Space: As Google provide 15 GB of space across various apps, the probability of running out of space is high. Once the limit is reached, the most popular option is to “export” the old emails to local MBOX files that allow you to clear the inbox without losing anything permanently.
• Permanently Delete Gmail account: If you are planning to permanently close your account, then first download all the emails to some universally supported format for any email. It can also provide you with an offline copy that can be accessed at any time.
• Long-term archiving: MBOX files are in plain-text format, thus safe for long-term archiving of important emails.
• Offline Access: We can browse, open and search the email offline after it is saved as a MBOX.
• Compliance and legal holds: Various industry regulations require that businesses retain employee mail accounts for a certain period of time after an employee walks out the door. Exporting Gmail to MBOX archives provides an easy method of saving that record on a local or secure hard drive.

Create MBOX Files from Gmail using Google Takeout

The finest takeaway feature, a free Google tool that enables you to export all of your content, including Email, Google Photos, notes, event schedule, and drive data, is the initial way to convert Gmail to MBOX. To use Google Takeout to convert Gmail emails to MBOX format, follow the step-by-step instructions below.

1. To begin, sign in to your Google account at https://takeout.google.com/settings/takeout.
2. Go to the Mail from Select Data to Include.
3. Scroll down and click on the Next Step button.
4. Select the desired options from “Choose File Type, Frequency, and Destination”.
5. Now it will show the process notification.

Finally, check your email for the extracted emails from Gmail using Google Takeout.

The files that were downloaded will be kept in MBOX format. So, here’s how to export Gmail to MBOX using the manual takeout option. Although it seems straightforward, this tactic is not. Before using it, you should be informed of several downsides.

You can use the next approach to export Gmail emails to MBOX to get around these restrictions. So, have a look.

Export Gmail to MBOX Using Thunderbird (Free)

However, if you’d rather not install a specialised tool, Mozilla Thunderbird-a free, open-source e-mail client-can also save all of your Gmail messages to your local drive in the standard UNIX Mailbox (MBOX) format.

First of all, you need to have: Thunderbird installed, your Gmail account configured, and the add-on ImportExport Tools NG.

Get and install Mozilla Thunderbird from the official site.

1. Launch Thunderbird and enter your Gmail account name and password.
2. Open Thunderbird and add a Google account (prompt you for the OAuth sign-in to Google).
3. Once all your Gmail folders appear in the left pane, click the menu icon and navigate to Add-ons and Themes.
4. Search for ImportExport Tools NG & click on Add to Thunderbird.
5. Right-click on any folder in Gmail you wish to export and select ImportExport Tools NG > Export folder MBOX format.
6. Select a save location on your PC and press OK.

The same approach can be used to export Gmail emails to EML format with the help of Thunderbird.

Export Gmail Emails to MBOX – Select All or Specific Folders

The Gmail Backup Tool may be used to get around the limitations of the previously outlined technique. This approach is completely effective for your type of data export since it enables you to batch export Gmail as MBOX while maintaining all other properties. Additionally, you have the choice of exporting certain directories. As a result, you won’t be compelled to export the complete database without your consent. When utilising our tool, you are completely independent and free to work at your own pace and convenience.

4 Simple Steps to Export MBOX Files from Gmail

1. Start the software and follow the steps mentioned below. 
2. Enter Gmail login credentials and password (app-generated password) into the software interface.
   
3. Select any folders from the list, and the saving choice must be MBOX.
   
4. You may now use various filters to save particular emails into MBOX files.
   
5. To convert Gmail to MBOX, proceed to the place where the generated files will be stored and click Start Backup.
   
   
6. The moment you click the backup button, the export process starts.
   

Which Method You Should Use to Download MBOX files from Gmail?

Factor	Google Takeout	Thunderbird	Macuncle Tool
Cost	Free	Free	Free demo or one-time license
Export Limitation	Large exports, auto-split; also can take hours to days	Reliable up to ~4 GB per export	No practical size limit
Select Folder Export	Not available — exports the entire account	Yes, folder-by-folder	Filter Feature (date, sender, subject, folder)
Preserves Attachments	Yes	Yes	It fully preserves the folder structure
Setup effort	Low Effort — browser only	Medium — requires installation + add-on	Low — step-by-step guide method
Best for	One-time full backup	Selective export, especially to export Gmail emails to MBOX Thunderbird	Supports bulk exports, quick results, and works without any additional support.
Speed	Depending on mailbox size	slows past ~4 GB	Fast — thousands of emails per minute

FAQs

Q) I don’t want to export my whole account; I want to export a handful of Gmail mailboxes. Would the manual method suit my needs?

A) If you use the suggested software, you can export Gmail to MBOX, but you will need to export the full data set. Filtering will not be possible. You can use the software for exporting mailboxes from Gmail to MBOX format.

Q) I am now using Mac OS 10.12, Sierra. Does the tool work with this system?

A) Yes. The software mentioned here works with OS X 10.15 Catalina, 10.14 Mojave, 10.13 High Sierra, 10.12 Sierra and even earlier.

Q) Is there any kind of restriction on the application?

A) There might be some restrictions in the demo version only. As a licensed version, you will be able to migrate Gmail to MBOX without any restriction.

Q) Is there an obvious method to extract emails from Gmail in MBOX?

A) No. Gmail provides no direct option for exporting. For a straightforward way, go to the recommended software.

Q) Is it possible to selectively export only a few Gmail labels rather than exporting the complete account?

A) The tools used for Google Takeout must export the entire mailbox. Thunderbird may export one folder at a time. The tool Macintosh uncletake preserves Gmail and can retrieve and choose folders once and may implement special rules (date of creation, sender of creation, subject of creation).

Q) Will exporting my Gmail to MBOX delete any emails or saved drafts?

A) No. Shows clearly. Exporting will only clone all your Gmail items into a local data file. Your Gmail account and its items will not be affected unless you, on our say, delete your items.

Summarize

We have provided both manual and automatic methods to export Gmail to MBOX. The first method is to use Google Takeout, which allows you to export all data without allowing you to select any specific one. It takes time and is also not user-friendly. An export tool is another option to save Gmail emails in MBOX format. It operates at the user’s convenience and is the simplest-to-use strategy. You must consider both strategies and select the one that best suits your needs.